Flooding in the Philippines - Development and Peace announces $50,000 initial
emergency relief donation

MONTREAL , Sept. 28 /CNW Telbec/ - Development and Peace is mobilizing its network to reach out to the victims of tropical storm Ketsana. The organization has also announced an initial donation of $50,000 to Caritas Philippines for emergency relief activities.

Torrential rains hammered down on the country last Saturday, mainly affecting the capital city of Manila and its 12 million residents.

To date, the Philippine government estimates that 140 people have been killed in the resulting floods, while 32 remain missing. More than 400,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and entire neighbourhoods of Manila are still submerged.

"Our emergency relief team is monitoring the situation closely and is reviewing all applications for assistance from our partners in the Philippines and the Catholic Church. We will soon be sending further assistance and announcing the amounts our partners will receive in donations from the Canadian public," says Gilio Brunelli, Director of International Programs at Development and Peace.

This year, Development and Peace supported fourteen initiatives and programs in the Philippines , for a total investment of $600,000 . Nine of those programs are based out of Manila and Development and Peace is trying actively to get in contact with our partners there.

Development and Peace welcomes public donations. Contributions can be made by telephone [phone]), online (www.devp.org) or by cheque (marked "Philippines: Floods"), sent to the following address:

    
                            Development and Peace
                   1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, 3rd Floor
                          Montreal, Quebec  H3G 1T7
    

For further information: François Gloutnay, [phone], ext. 318, [email protected]